“In certain situations, when debris could fall onto the crowd below, the drone cannot be shot down. The eagle can intercept the device without causing extra damage.”

The air force acquired eagle eggs in spring this year and the birds began their training in the summer, when they were big enough.

“They have been taught that there is food on the drones, and now when they see one of these devices they intercept. We are training them not just to attack them, but to detect them.

The air force is hoping to be able to use the eagles in real situations from the summer of 2017 onwards. The tactic of employing eagles to fight drones has already been used by police in the Netherlands as the video below shows in dramatic style.